Click photo to enlarge
Ava Sanders models one of the garments from her, label Lou
and Ash, while working on colours for another, in Dunedin
yesterday. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
Slow fashion - three months for each garment - is Lou and
Ash's niche.
When every piece of the Dunedin-based fashion label is
created by hand, in traditional ways, it is no surprise it
can take a while.
Founder Ava Sanders believes in the idea of preserving and
promoting traditional craftsmanship.
She uses natural fibres which are transformed through
knitting, crochet and embroidery into what have been
described as works of art.
Growing up watching her mother's "mesmerizing" knitting
hands, inspired her to bring "the art of the craft" back into
the world of fashion.
Clothing had become mass produced and she, along with her
team of knitters, enjoyed offering a counter to that.
Mrs Sanders organised wool and colours, then liaised with her
team in "undisclosed locations" to construct different
pieces.
These were brought together by her, in consultation with
another Dunedin woman, and constructed into a final garment,
she said.
She believed her slow approach mixed well with the high-paced
world of fashion, but she enjoyed being able to pick up her
needles and "switch off".
The label St Kevins College became established only last
August and she had enjoyed the resulting learning process.
From fashion as a business, to exporting, computers and
photography, her confidence had slowly grown with each
challenge.
The year also proved to be one of firsts.
The label's first photo shoot took place last month and the
iD Dunedin Fashion Show, on March 12 and 13, will be its
first stint on the catwalk.
Her collection will consist of one-off and limited edition
garments, showcasing the knitted jackets, crocheted dresses
and miniskirts for which the label was known.
Mrs Sanders was also amazed her pieces would be seen by
international designer and iD Emerging Design Awards judge
Zandra Rhodes.
With four weeks to go, only about a quarter of the fashion
show tickets were left and those to the emerging awards were
selling well.
ellie.constantine@odt.co.nz
